Eight sacks and a costly late pick from Josh Allen sent the Bills to a loss against the Texans

Josh Allen endured one of the roughest outings of his season Thursday night, as almost nothing went right for the Buffalo Bills in a 23–19 loss to the Houston Texans.

Despite relentless pressure and constant setbacks, Allen still came painfully close to engineering a dramatic late comeback—until a final-minute interception slammed the door shut on Buffalo’s hopes.

A Final Drive That Fell Apart

On the Bills’ last possession, Allen was buried by consecutive sacks, setting up a desperate 4th-and-27. Buffalo (7–4) somehow produced a miracle play: a short pass from Allen to Josh Palmer, followed by a lateral to Khalil Shakir, turning into a stunning 44-yard gain.

But momentum evaporated instantly. A false-start penalty pushed the Bills into 4th-and-6, and with only 24 seconds left, Houston’s Calen Bullock jumped the route at the Texans’ 9-yard line, intercepting Allen and sealing the game.

“We had a chance to win it at the end,” Allen said. “We stayed in it, our defense bailed us out a few times, but we couldn’t finish. We’ve got to find a way—and we didn’t.”

Allen’s Long, Punishing Night

Houston’s defense overwhelmed the Bills’ offensive line, sacking Allen a career-high eight times and hitting him 12 times overall. One week after accounting for six touchdowns against Tampa Bay, Allen finished with 253 passing yards, two interceptions, and no touchdowns.

“When your quarterback gets hit 12 times, that’s not acceptable,” head coach Sean McDermott said. “It’s not sustainable, and it’s not a healthy way to play. We’ve got to protect him better.”

Allen, who appeared shaken up after a first-half sack that left his left shoulder briefly numb, admitted he could have handled some plays differently.
“It’s not fun,” he said. “A couple of those hits were on me. I’ve got to be better about throwing the ball away instead of drifting backward.”

In total, Allen lost 70 yards on sacks. Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. dominated with 2.5 sacks, including a chase-down for an 18-yard loss early in the third quarter.

Bills Missing Key Weapon Again

Buffalo was once again without rookie wideout Keon Coleman, a healthy scratch for the second straight week after repeated issues with tardiness to team meetings.

“Nothing new. We’re taking it day by day,” McDermott said. “He had a better week, but we went with the guys who give us the best chance to win.”

Khalil Shakir led the receiving corps with eight catches for 110 yards, while James Cook delivered 116 rushing yards and a touchdown.

A Night of Missed Opportunities

Allen didn’t hide his frustration after the Bills failed to execute in the game’s defining moments.
“Ultimately, we’ve got to execute—and we didn’t tonight,” he said. “Whatever the situation, whatever the circumstance, we’ve got to find a way. And we didn’t.”